The concept of ‘Enlightenment’ or ‘Awakening’ and how it relates to the other concept of ‘no-self’ (anattā or anatman) is truly one thing that sets Buddhism apart from any other major religion. After all, “Buddha” means “The Awakened One”.

But enlightenment, which is the reason we practice Buddhism, is perhaps one of the most confusing concepts to explain in Buddhism.

Why Do I Have to Wake Up?

Hey, being unenlightened sure seems like a great thing! We love falling madly in love with people, enjoy things that delight our senses, and live our life to the fullest before we die.

But is it all that it’s cracked up to be? Not really, because we have many attachments when we are unenlightened that cause our suffering (called “Dukkha” which is part of the four noble truths) such as:

When we become enlightened, everything becomes clear so things that used to bother us, no longer do, and we can understand our place in the universe.

“You” Are Not You

Enlightenment is something that happens suddenly to you when you recognize there has never been a thing known as “you” (ego), and it was all just a mental fabrication. This is referred to as the concept of “no-self” (anattā or anatman) in Buddhism. That’s pretty heavy stuff for most of us to come to terms with.

As Zen Master Dōgen said:

Only be accepting that the ego is a fabricated illusion do we walk the Buddha’s way.

This means that seeing “you” (ego) as a “separate self” is the illusion. We are all part of a connected consciousness. When you realize this, you become awake.

Enlightenment is not something that benefits “you” or “me.” It is the absence of the illusion of there being a “you” or “me” to benefit. Enlightenment is held up as the ultimate goal of Buddhism, but ironically it is only when the concept of being a “someone” who could achieve anything is abandoned that enlightenment naturally occurs.

So Who Am I?

So how can “you” be enlightened when there can’t be a thing such as “you”? First it’s important to understand that “ego” (referred to as “ātman” in Buddhism) is in our mind and creates the false sense of self (thus a “you”) that is independent and separate. Because this is a delicious and attractive prospect to us, we cling to it…tightly. This clinging to “self” creates all our suffering because it’s like a clenching fist that won’t “let go”.

Clinging to this mythical self is just like gripping an imaginary object in our hand. What does it accomplish? It only gives us a headache and ulcers. And we quickly develop many other kinds of suffering on top of that. This “I” becomes proactive in protecting its interests, because it immediately perceives “other.” The instant we have the thought of “I” and “other,” the whole drama of “us” versus “them” develops. It all happens in the blink of an eye. We desire one thing and try our best to get it; we hate or fear another and work to keep it away; and there are still other things we don’t care about one way or another.

Compared to other religions of the world where ‘you’ are permanent (such as having a soul), Buddhism says the opposite. Sentient beings (such as people) don’t have an independent self that is unchanging. Physically you can see your body change, but even ‘you’ change as you are interconnected with everything around you. Because we are very much attached to the concept of ‘me’, it’s hard to grasp this concept also. The Buddha said that the concept of ‘you’ is a temporary condition caused by the combination of physical and mental components of existence. You will eventually lose the body, and be no more (but not to worry, read my article about rebirth for more on this).

This doesn’t mean that you are are not in the physical (human) world right now, because you are. You can pinch yourself and fell the pain caused by it. What’s being said is that moment by moment, the concept of “you” is being created by your ego (mind). So loosen that grip on your ego and become liberated!

It’s important to note that the two major branches of Buddhism, Theravada and Mahayana, look at the concept of “no self” (anattā or anatman) differently as explained by Barbara O’Brien:

Very basically, Theravada considers anatman to mean that an individual’s ego or personality is a fetter and delusion. Once freed of this delusion, the individual may enjoy the bliss of Nirvana.

Mahayana, on the other hand, considers all physical forms to be void of intrinsic self (a teaching called shunyata, which means “emptiness”). The ideal in Mahayana is to enable all beings to be enlightened together, not only out of a sense of compassion, but because we are not really separate, autonomous beings.

Awakened or Enlightened?

Before we go any further, a little clarification is needed. You will hear the terms “enlightened” (and “enlightenment”) and “awake” (and “awakened”), which refer to the Pali term “Bodhi”. The Buddha said he was “buddho”, meaning “awake”. Both ‘enlightened’ and ‘awakened’ mean the same thing, and are perhaps not the best terms to use to describe Bodhi, but it’s what has been used for a long time now.

Let’s use these two terms as they relate to the Buddha: Prince Siddhartha Gautama became “awake” (buddho) when he realized the true nature of things. This happened during his meditative concentration under the Bodhi tree when he overcame all the obstacles and temptations in his mind and, no pun intended, the “lights came on” or “enlightened” (as far as understanding the true nature of things) and became the Buddha.

Often, you’ll see a circle, halo, or light radiating from the Buddha’s head in paintings and statues, but this is purely a symbolic metaphor for ‘enlightenment’ (by using light) of his mind, and not of anything spiritual or God-like.

Finding What is Hidden

Mahayana Buddhism teaches that, in our deepest selves, we are already perfect, complete and enlightened. However, we don’t understand ourselves this way. Instead, we are caught up in the delusion of ordinary appearances and conceptualizations to see ourselves as limited, imperfect and incomplete.

If we could sum up ‘Enlightenment’ simply (no easy feat!) it is to find what is hidden. But what is hidden? First, let’s give some analogies:

Imagine you have been in a massive pitch dark room for years. One day a flashlight appears and you begin searching, and eventually you come across a mirror and see your face in it. Even though you haven’t seen your face for many years, it’s instantly recognizable. You know that’s “you”.

You have been in a coma for many decades, only to finally wake up one day and see your parents. Even though their appearance has changed, you instantly know they are your parents.

You were born blind, and have never seen what the world looks like. You receive surgery that gives you vision and you can finally see the world around you.

Enlightenment is much like this, as it is discovering what is already there inside you (often referred to as your “Buddha nature” in Mahayana). As Ven. Master Hsing Yun explains:

Before attaining enlightenment one sees the world through clouded vision, unable to understand the true nature of things. After attaining enlightenment, one looks upon all the world’s phenomena like a blind person who can now see.

The Enlightened Superstar

We would probably not even be talking about enlightenment if it was not for Prince Siddhartha Gautama who persisted in meditation under a pipal tree (later to be called the Bodhi tree) until he became “awake”. His enlightenment, and determination to share this knowledge with others, created one of the world’s largest religions. He was then able to see and understand the world as it truly is and explained this with the Three Dharma Seals.

Upon achieving enlightenment, the Buddha said:

Marvelous, marvelous! All sentient beings have the Tathāgata’s wisdom and virtue, but they fail to realize it because they cling to deluded thoughts and attachments.

“Tathāgata” is a Pali and Sanskrit word the Buddha used when referring to himself. So, he’s basically saying everyone has “Buddha Nature” and can achieve enlightenment, and end suffering.

I wonder if the Buddha saw the world like the character “Neo” did in the movie The Matrix? Well, more on that later on.

Your Mind, the Lotus Flower

Just like our mind, the lotus flower grows beneath the surface of the water which is dark, murky, and muddy (much like our perception of the world and ourselves). But, through constant effort, it finally breaks the surface of the water and blossoms in the bright and beautiful world (which is unseen).

Just like the lotus flower breaking the surface of the water, we too can break through the surface of our deluded perceptions of the world. But it takes both constant effort, and faith. If the lotus flower (let’s pretend it’s a sentient being for a second) believed the world was just this muddy water and nothing was above, it would never become ‘enlightened’ and break the surface. Or, if it did believe that there was this beautiful world above the water’s surface, and spent much effort to get there, but one day gets discouraged and stops…not knowing it was just moments away from the surface.

This is why continued practice, faith, and effort is needed and that you should never give up.

YOU are the One

In the movie The Matrix, Neo (Keanu Reeves) awakens from within the “Matrix” and can “see” the world around him is just computer code. Here’s the scene:

Now, of course, this movie doesn’t have anything to do with Buddhism, but it does have some concepts we can draw from:

In the scene shown above, Neo saw that everything was ‘connected’ and ‘equal’, which are fundamental Buddhist concepts. When he realized this, he was for all purposes “enlightened”. There was no going back for him, because he saw the world for what it truly is…in his case, a computer program.

When the Buddha sat under the pipal tree, he was attacked by “Mara” or “Maara” (more on that here). Could the ‘agents’ in the Matrix be considered ‘Mara’ for Neo? Quite possibly, and Neo is able to defeat Agent Smith (whom we can relate to ‘Mara’) whose goal is to ensure that everyone is kept in the false and delusional world of the Matrix.

Neo then sets forth to free mankind whom are imprisoned in the delusion of the Matrix so they can ‘wake up’ and see the world as it truly is:

So, perhaps Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha) could have been like Keanu Reeves playing the character Neo if he lived in our time. I suppose I’d be ok with that as long as he didn’t also play a role in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and doesn’t fly around in a computer program.

Meditate on This

We’ve talked a lot about what enlightenment is, but how do you become ‘enlightened’? The goal of meditative concentration (part of the Noble Eightfold Path) is enlightenment.

One can seek enlightenment by practicing meditation, but how should we practice so that we can attain enlightenment? Total and complete enlightenment is not attained easily. one must develop small moments of insight and understanding each day. These small, daily bits of enlightenment accumulate over time, until they culminate in a sudden flash of great enlightenment.

Don’t Fall Back Asleep

So what do you do after you become enlightened? Get ready for it…you continue practicing! Becoming enlightened is not the final step on the path, becoming a Buddha is.

Mahayana Buddhists who follow the Bodhisattva path can become Buddha’s as well, but they choose to remain in the cycle of birth and death (samsara) in order to help others become enlightened as well. But let’s look at it another way, that becoming enlightened is just as good as becoming a Buddha (or Arhart in Theravada). As Ven. Master Hsing Yun explains (note that ‘Chan’ and ‘Zen’ are the same, except Chan refers to the original school in China, and Zen the school that Chan became in Japan):

Chan practitioners are humanistic because they have developed meditative concentration for generations and seek enlightenment rather than attaining Buddhahood. After attaining enlightenment in this human world, they are liberated in the present moment of their lives. They find peace and freedom in body and mind, understand the mind, and see their nature. All of this comes from enlightenment-why worry about being unable to become a Buddha?

But What Do I Know?

It’s often said that trying to explain enlightenment is fruitless, and I agree. As someone who is clearly not enlightened, my goal with this article is to try and make a few concepts clearer and easier to understand for laypersons like you and me. But, of course, I’m not enlightened! So I will leave you with this parting thought by Ven. Master Hsing Yun:

Enlightenment must be directly experienced and is not something an average person can wildly speculate about. Those who casually imitate the words and actions of Chan practitioners without doing the work to attain enlightenment will fall short and invite the ridicule of those who truly know.

great article! I believe that you have summed up what can be summed up intellectually. However, just as you said, intellectual understanding is just another illusion. Personal experience is the only true understanding. What’s great about what you have done is to set a great reminder for staying on the path.

Enlightenment is to know our own true nature, the true nature of the world, and the purpose and meaning of life. Attaining enlightenment is the greatest possible happiness for a human being. The path that leads to enlightenment is the path that leads to spiritual awareness.

Jessica

Man, this article is no joke. I loved it from line 1. I hope you realize that it’s been two years, but people who are seeking on Buddhism, like me, can still reach you, and what a great range of useful you provide us..

Thank you for the article. Great way to explain enlightenment in a simple way. Also, thank you for providing resources in terms on how to meditate for beginners. I am a seeker and technology has been helpful since some of us cannot travel to places where teachers/gurus can teach/share/help us to the point of awakening. Much love and many blessings to you- SatoriAnne

epiphany yesterday. enlightened. Tao. Sage. I am the sage and so are u. i am crazy, how can i make u see my consciousness. my perspective. listen dont judge. i am the fore told wisdom. we are individual consciousness existing now (understanding) the same auras. that consensus of understanding is the physical reality. cuz u are me and i am u. but thats limited. imagination. everything is u u are everything. we are born with a unique aura (perspective/consciousness/self/soul). however that perspective can only be added to reality considering the innumerable factors of when u are born. the conditions in which we are born determine to which extent the unique soul can flourish and be taken into the world. (society) however this must be achieved by enlightment. the inverting of the self with the nonself. we started off as animals but our brain evolved. how did it evolve? remember reality is what is evolving. animals rely on instinct. =yin and yang of self. control of emotions in the now of society (rules) vs control of the crazy=your unique perspective. you. so its tthe structure of the reality around u vs your uniqu aura/perspective. the KEY after achieving this so called “enlightment” which is spiritual awarness is grasping and unifying the self with the present. the enlightment is the “joy” u experienced as a kid. what made u the happiest. what was your first love. deep yearning for. it is that joy that u are then able to manifest into your one true being. past/present/future all is one. tao. so basically im saying i had an epiphany. physical reality is culmination of the understanding of unique perspectives/auras/everything.
every things consciousness understanding/vibrating on same frequency. we are all born with a unqiuess/aura. there can only be one u. metaphorically like a light in all of us. a wonder of how our consicouness percieves reality. thats where everything came from! inventions are ideas someone had (imagiantion)/unique perspectives. they brought it into existience somehow. but how do u do it? u know how. just do. but now we are at a barrier where their is soo many unique auras out there. so many new things to be discoverd=brought into existence. abandon everything and be filled with joy. = ones real passion. before we were always searching but now i am doing.
wisdom is imaginiaton. but dont be limited to what i am telling u. cuz i have provided the instructions to the philosophers stone. here is the knowledge. if u are smart u will ponder this, but if u are wise u will listen to me and do. cuz i am me and u. but only u are u. believe in yourself and manifest it to the now. but dont believe in me. that is the key. emphasizing this cuz i dont want to be wisdom cuz i know i am not wise. dive deep and bring it to the surface. i will listen..u will listen. openess. dont judge! but then judge. its up to u. acceptance of the now with everything. its not up to u to make someone happy. happy is inside. bring it out. we ground our selves in this reality with simplicity. oh thats a chair. we both understnad its a chair. but how are u looking at that char? hmm i wonder. i can only wonder. free of thought. only 1 voice. yours and no one elses. =brain power. merging left and right parts of brain into one. practice seeing auras . that helped me. cuz u are conecntrating on left and right into another sight. third eye. must be clear of everything but the u (uniquess)=compassion love happiness everything. we aall share empathy cuz u are me and i am u. everything is everhting. when u are happy i am happy. thats why when u look at someone. be free of emotion. listen! tothem. dont judge cuz that is how u expand your imagination. cuz everyone has this light/uniqueness. i can say that i am sincerely interested at looking at these new consciousness in realtiy. but i must undertand that i already know, but i am choosing not to know. broaden your horizons. cuz whenever u think u got it figured out. u dont buddy 🙂 and that okay. human experince. how deep will u go? idk im just doing me.

Kunal Choudhury

You cannot explain ‘the truth’ to anyone.You can only see for yourself. I know that anyone and everyone can realise this truth if they know it. So,i’ll point everyone in the direction of what i think is ‘the truth’. The truth is very scientific and logical. So,what i think Gautam Buddha learnt that day was simply astral projection and nothing else. Anyone who doesn’t know about it can google it. I have a hunch that this is only the ‘truth/enlightment/awakening’ and nothing else.

James Rhodes

Well I think your article is “grist for the mill”, a light on the path and I am passing it on to be shared in the darker places.